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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · row · field · scale · can · capital · pass · last

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. saw — the tool
  4. capital — money
  5. can — to be able to
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pass — a permit
  10. row — to paddle
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. can — a tin
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. capital — a city
  18. scale — in music
  19. last — final
  20. field — farmland
  21. can — a tin
  22. last — to go on
  23. row — a line
  24. last — finally

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com